Task Integrity and information on when a user can start its task

[yann]

Dear all,

Regarding my particular project, each task cannot start before its
predecessor is achieved. I know it is possible through Ms Project (macro) but
not possible to import macro on PWA so I need your help on PSI.

Does anyone ever tried to developp a programm that shows on My Task only the
task for which its predecessor are 100% complete?
Lastly, is it possible to developp a kind of warning for which the user will
be informed that he can start its task because the owner of the predecessor
task has been completed 100%
Thanks a lot for your information,

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

Why not take the macro and modify it so it only sets the correct tasks to
Publish?


- Andrew Lavinsky
Blog: http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/epm

 

[yann]

Well, in Project Server we cannot use macro so I need another solution. Maybe
by developping a filter or something else?

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

Use the macro on your schedule in MPP, then push it out to the Server when
you publish on a weekly or daily basis.

Why do you need to do this in PWA?


- Andrew Lavinsky
Blog: http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/epm

 

[yann]

In fact we want only users to work in PWA because it's more simple for them.

I do not understand "push it out to the Server when you publish". Do you
mean we can use macro on PWA?

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

Sorry for being unclear....you run the macro in Project, then when the Scheduler
decides to push the schedule out to PWA, the data is updated.

Sounds like you're trying to manage schedules without Microsoft Project and
just in PWA? That's not a supported use case.

What is your goal exactly?

- Andrew Lavinsky
Blog: http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/epm

 

[yann]

My goal:
Schedule is on hourly basis at the latest, so we need all people having
information on time (this is for accounting process schedule that occurs each
month for your information).
We want in fact use MS Project Servor so user can update their task easily
(and not within PWA). We want to avoid as much as possible the use of a PM
cause it will be time consuming supposing the fact that he has to seat in
front of its desk all the time during the process of the closure.
So idealy everythink will be made within PWA withount having to open
Microsoft Project. Do you see my purpose?

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

From the sound of it, you may be better off with some sort of custom MOSS
workflow?

I may be a bit dense today, but I don't quite see how this fits the bill
of a project schedule.

- Andrew Lavinsky
Blog: http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/epm

 

[yann]

Yes but with MOSS i will not be able to see consequences of any slippages.

In fact i want to combine both managing Workflow + Planning and beeing easy
to use only within PWA. I think i have to make some choices

 

[Andrew Lavinsky]

Just to make sure I understand:

1) You have a selection of tasks that are updated periodically through the
day.
2) You wish for resources to enter their information against those tasks
in PWA.
3) You wish for the updates to get imported into the Project plan, have the
plan recalculate, and then republish the data automatically, without user
intervention.
4) Based on which predecessors have been completed, you only want specific
tasks to be displayed on publish, that selection of specific tasks changing
based on what task information has already been entered.
5) Periodically, the PM will open the project plan to review it and adjust
accordingly.

So here're the elements you'd probably need:

1) Custom code to kick off the Accept Updates, Update Schedule, Run Macro,
Publish project cycle triggered by a user submitting updates.
2) A macro to flag the appropriate tasks to Publish based on predecessor
criteria. (Note that with most update procedures, you would also need to
consider the role of the Status Date, and how the incomplete tasks as of
the Status Date will be updated.)

Your issue is that you're trying to circumvent the PM approval process, which
is not how the system is designed. If you weren't trying to circumvent that
process, a simple macro would suffice.

I'd suggest you repost with that information in the message to see what kind
of responses you get.

- Andrew Lavinsky
Blog: http://blogs.catapultsystems.com/epm